Kayfabe Shattered: The Kliq's Infamous WWE Curtain Call

In today’s landscape, there are few secrets within pro wrestling as pro wrestling is considered to be like any other scripted TV show where it is accepted the talents inside the squared circle are portraying characters as opposed to their real-life selves. For several generations of fans, knowing this has not been a problem, but at one time a little more effort was made to keep a barrier between the public and the performances. 

That is why in 1996, a group demonstration from four wrestlers that might seem innocent today created an internal uproar. This demonstration also inadvertently altered the future of the then-WWF in ways nobody would have imagined.

Kevin Nash & Scott Hall Agree To Jump Ship

In the spring of 1996, WWF were about to lose two of their top stars as Razor Ramon (Scott Hall) and Diesel (Kevin Nash) had agreed to sign with World Championship Wrestling, with Eric Bischoff having been aggressive in his war against the World Wrestling Federation. 

While word of the talents jumping ship leaked on the cusp of WrestleMania XII season, it was harder to access such information in early 1996. Internet access was becoming the new normal for the general population but the level of behind the scenes details available at the touch of a finger was nowhere near the levels of today, with a smaller subset of fans hanging out in chat rooms or message boards, or subscribing to the print version of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter or PWTorch being some of the few to know what was happening backstage. 

Beyond this, there was likely an even smaller group of fans who knew what The Kliq was - the backstage group of Shawn Michaels, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, 123 Kid, Razor Ramon and Diesel - who used their backstage power to regularly influence Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation’s booking, while mostly monopolising the main event angles in the company and alienating a number of wrestlers in the company. 

Their power was about to be diminished as a collective, though, as in addition to Hall and Nash, The 123 Kid was persona non-grata after wrestling his final WWE match in April and he was in rehab when it emerged that Ramon and Diesel were going to WCW. 

While the group was about to be smaller, there were big plans in place for The Kliq. Shawn Michaels was a top star and would win the WWF Championship at WrestleMania XII, while Helmsley was scheduled to win the 1996 King of the Ring tournament.  

During the final weeks of Razor Ramon and Diesel in the World Wrestling Federation, they were utilised to put over the wrestlers who would be sticking around.

After serving a suspension for failing a drug test, Scott Hall returned to the road in the week after WrestleMania XII. He picked up wins over 123 Kid and Bradshaw at house shows, but he also lost to Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Goldust, and put over Vader in a heavyweight battle at In Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies.

For Nash, he lost to The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels in non-televised matches before losing to HBK in a No Holds Barred match at the same In Your House in what was arguably Big Sexy’s best ever match. 

The Lead-Up To The Curtain Call

Following the April event, Hall put over Jerry Lawler at four consecutive house shows in the second weekend of May, while Nash wasn't active on those cards. For Friday, May 17, the WWF embarked on a loop of four house shows across three days: Baltimore on Friday night, Philadelphia for a Saturday matinee, Hershey, PA on Saturday night, and then New York's hallowed Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.

For all but the Hershey card, the double main event was Kliq-heavy as Helmsley faced Ramon in the semi main, while the last match was Michaels putting his WWF Title on the line against Diesel inside a steel cage.

A month prior to those events, all five Kliq members were part of a WWF tour of Germany. According to Michaels, the group were having dinner together at a restaurant in Hamburg when somebody among the faction suggested a group "farewell" for when Hall and Nash finished up. As Michaels described it, it was an offhand idea that was briefly discussed before moving on to other conversational matters. Apparently, in the time between that mid-April conversation and the Garden house show, Michaels forgot that it was even discussed.

The house show match endings followed the same template across the three pre-MSG cards. For Helmsley vs. Ramon, Razor would have the match won, but a bumped referee would be unable to count his pin. By the time the official revived, Helmsley would have dropped Ramon with the Pedigree to secure a tainted win.

As for Michaels and Diesel's cage match, Shawn won each time via door escape, after downing the seven-footer with his patented Sweet Chin Music.

The show at Madison Square Garden followed much of the same script, but with a few improvised additions. Over 18,800 fans filled MSG, marking the WWF's second consecutive sell-out in the building, the first time they had managed such a feat since the heyday of Hulkamania. 

Preceding the double main event, the Garden card was one of the more interesting WWF house shows in some time. The WWF Tag Team titles changed hands as Henry and Phineas Godwinn defeated The Bodydonnas in an 11-minute bout. Elsewhere, there was a callback to the 1989 feud between Jake Roberts and Ted DiBiase, as DiBiase seconded Steve Austin in Stone Cold's victory over The Million Dollar Man's one-time WrestleMania opponent. The night overall felt like a mix of old and new as Roberts, The Bushwhackers, Marty Jannetty, and The Ultimate Warrior occupied a card with Steve Austin, Ahmed Johnson, Triple H, and other late New Generation regulars.

Then it was time for Razor Ramon vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley and they employed the same script from previous nights, but the crowd response was very different as the savvier, more in-the-know New York crowd fully understood that Ramon was on his way to WCW and gave him a more negative reaction than the babyface was used to. Some fans even chanted “You Sold Out” at Hall, but the response from others was more positive as they shouted, “Please Don’t Go.”

Caught up in the moment, Hall gestured to the entranceway, where McMahon stood behind the curtain at the Gorilla position. He indicated to the crowd that he would stay if McMahon paid him to, in essence saying that he loved being in the WWF, but money talked.

After Helmsley won per the tailored ending, Ramon was again met with derision from the New York crowd. At this point, Razor grabbed the microphone and responded that he hadn’t sold out before uttering: “Say goodbye to the Bad Guy.”

At this point, his microphone cut out as WWE feared an unscripted Hall may say something truly caustic or regrettable.

Once backstage, McMahon met with Hall, and took him into a private office. There, the WWF boss tried one last time to get him to reconsider the jump. In this hasty attempt at renegotiation, Hall made similar demands to what McMahon had balked at earlier in 1996. Though he initiated the meeting with the hope of holding onto Razor, McMahon still wasn't willing to move that much to retain the former Intercontinental Champion. With both men hardened in their stances, Ramon was officially on his way out. 

Next, it was time for the main event Steel Cage match between WWF Champion Shawn Michaels and Diesel. As the two men readied themselves for their entrances, Helmsley approached them, asking if they were still doing that thing they had discussed in Hamburg the prior month. Michaels didn't know what Helmsley was talking about, so he reminded Shawn of the group goodbye.

As Michaels explained later, he and the rest of the Kliq probably all forgot because they had been drinking during the meal. Helmsley didn't drink, however, so he remembered the suggestion clearly. Michaels noted that he told Helmsley to check with Vince to see if it was alright, and if so, to come out after the match.

The match took place as planned, with Michaels vanquishing Diesel with the same finish of a Sweet Chin Music followed by escape through the door. With Diesel still laid out, Michaels returned to the ring to celebrate with the belt in hand. 

The Curtain Call

Unlike previous nights, though, Diesel got to his feet after a few minutes and embraced Michaels. Ramon and Helmsley then made their way back to the ring, where they entered the cage and joined their Kliq brothers in a group celebration. They then raised arms, openly flashed the Kliq gesture and shared a group hug. 

Many in the more-knowing Madison Square Garden crowd saw the farewell for what it was of a goodbye between a group of real-life friends due to Hall and Nash being on their way out. 

The scene in the ring was joyful, whereas backstage, things were much more volcanic. A number of wrestlers and officials were outraged by the flagrant breach of kayfabe that had just transpired. Jerry Brisco and Jim Cornette in particular were furious over the demonstration. Other wrestlers, such as Steve Austin, Bret Hart, Bob Holly, Davey Boy Smith, and more expressed varying degrees of anger and disappointment over the Kliq's actions.

While the WWF had basically let the cat out of the bag years earlier about their product being all show business, it felt like another thing altogether to have faces and heels drop the act in public the way Shawn and co. did. For a number of older wrestlers and veteran officials that grew up in another generation, what The Kliq did was a slap in the face and a violation of the code they had doggedly sworn by in their professional lives. Another point of contention was that they did it in Madison Square Garden, the building where the McMahon family had presented pro wrestling for decades. 

Cornette summarised it by saying: "If they wanted to say goodbye, they should have had a party in the locker room with a big f*cking cake. In doing that they were saying, ‘We are bigger than the business.'"

Bruce Prichard concurred, calling it, "A slap in the face to Vince McMahon. To his father. To his whole family."

How Vince Mcmahon actually felt about the Curtain Call is difficult to determine, however. According to Michaels, when he came back through the curtain, Vince asked if that moment was important to him. Michaels said it was, and McMahon responded, "Then it's important to me."

As far as Michaels knew, while others may have been furious over what the group had done, Vince had his back, and that was all that mattered. It is unknown if McMahon actually endorsed what happened, though. Michaels has claimed he told Helmsley to rubber-stamp the goodbye with Vince, but other accounts have noted that Helmsley didn't ask McMahon until after Hall had already gone to the ring to meet with Michaels and Nash.

As that version notes, Helmsley stood at Gorilla with Vince and an irate Brisco. Hunter asked Vince if he could join the group, and McMahon apparently said nothing. As the boss didn’t say anything, Helmsley just followed his friends to the ring.

The Fallout

While Michaels remembered McMahon being calm on the night of the incident, the mood one week later had completely changed by late May for In Your House 8: Beware of Dog. 

McMahon allegedly didn't mind what had transpired so much, because he didn't feel the group was being hurtful toward the business. However, so many agents and wrestlers were up in arms, and there wasn't much love for the Kliq members anyway. Fearing that letting the act slide might breed resentment among his roster at large, Vince felt he had to do something.

On the day of the pay-per-view, Vince sat down with Michaels and Helmsley and explained that he was going to have to punish Hunter for the deed. Hall and Nash were already gone, and Vince wasn't going to tank his world champion, especially when the main event was so thin on genuine stars during a heated promotional battle.

In that meeting, Helmsley was informed that he was going to the bottom of the WWF, and being used as a veritable jobber to the stars. No push, no King of the Ring victory, for an indefinite period.

Michaels protested Vince's decree, noting that McMahon seemed to have given his blessing for it to happen. McMahon countered by saying he didn't expect the fallout, while adding that he didn't think the demonstration would go as far as it did.

Begrudgingly, Helmsley accepted his punishment, and went on to lose lots of matches over the months ahead, including his King of the Ring qualifier to Jake Roberts. He also put over Marc Mero that night at the pay-per-view. His only TV wins were over enhancement talents, and he lost to name-guys otherwise.

As fate would have it, a different heel won the King of the Ring in Helmsley's place in Steve Austin. Post-match, one of the most iconic promos in WWE history took place as Austin cut a venomous coronation promo, using Roberts' religious faith to mock him: "Talk about psalms, talk about John 3:16 - Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!"

That phrase, and the many items of merchandise bearing said phrase, wouldn’t exist if Vince McMahon hadn’t punished Paul Levesque for the Curtain Call. 

By October 1996, Helmsley’s period of punishment was over and the future Triple H would defeat Marc Mero for the Intercontinental Championship. 

The Legacy Of The Curtain Call

Going forward, kayfabe breaches and worked shoots became more regular in the WWF presentation. Bootleg fancam footage of the Curtain Call was even used in an angle in October 1997, as Michaels and Helmsley (by now the cornerstones of D-Generation X) played the video in an attempt to annoy commentator Vince McMahon. After winning the 1997 King of the Ring, Helmsley also made an overt allusion to the fact that he was "supposed" to win the tournament the prior year.

Of course, the "secret" became less secret as time went on. The Kliq weren't the first individuals to expose the business, but the scripted nature was laid bare more and more in the coming years, and the humanity of the performers was more regularly displayed in in-house productions.

As far as Triple H's career goes, The Curtain Call is a notable detail, but ultimately a small part of it. One has to wonder, though, how different things would have been had the Curtain Call not happened, or if Helmsley simply went unpunished. His career probably doesn't turn out differently. Widespread internet access, coupled with greater awareness of newsletters and dirtsheets, would have probably led an evolving WWF down the road of worky-shootiness eventually anyway.

The only real question is how does Austin's career turn out? The King of the Ring win, and subsequent speech, set in motion Stone Cold and his winning template. Does he catch that lightning if events turn out differently?

The Curtain Call is a fascinating moment in pro wrestling lore, both when it took place, and with decades of hindsight. To juxtapose 1996 attitudes with today's viewpoints is just as compelling as trying to imagine how the chips fall in an alternate reality. It opens the eyes to how a few decisions can alter the future in unfathomable ways.